


The Prince's Return

by Lucy_Luna



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Bonding, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:20:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27835936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucy_Luna/pseuds/Lucy_Luna
Summary: While Zuko and Toph are taking a stroll through the Republic City's spirit wilds, Zuko becomes the victim of spirit shenanigans. Now, his grandson, Iroh, gets to experience Prince Zuko firsthand.
Relationships: Iroh II & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 29
Kudos: 196





	1. A Relic Unearthed

The world came back into focus slowly. The melted colors separated and grew distinct. Lines appeared, creating shapes of the colors, which became things like trees and clouds and a person. A really _old_ person. Scrubbing his good eye with a half-fist, Zuko got rid of the last of the fuzziness and realized the person was not Uncle, but a lady. A lady dressed in an oddly familiar way at that.

Head spinning, he tried to take a step back, only to trip on some uneven stone or root and fall onto his butt. This wasn’t the palace. Maybe it wasn’t even the Fire Nation he thought. Looking around, he wondered where he was. The Earth Nation? It was too green for the Water Nation and while he didn't have a lot of experience with the ruins of the Air Nation, it didn't seem likely this was there either. He stifled a groan. This was just typical, wasn’t it? 

Things were finally looking like they might be okay and then! _This_. 

“Zuko?” said the old lady. Her face was tilted toward him, but her eyes. They weren’t looking at Zuko. He was pretty sure she couldn’t look at him even if she wanted to. They reminded him of Toph’s eyes.

“Ye—” he started only to realize how stupid that would be. He didn’t know where he was or who this was. She could be an assassin. Or just somebody who wanted to hurt him. Pushing himself away from the lady quickly, he shook his head even though she couldn’t see him and said, “No.” As he got to his feet and positioned himself to either run or fight, he told her, “No, you have the wrong guy.”

The old woman’s face morphed into an expression so very _Toph_ it made Zuko’s head spin. “Don’t lie,” she snapped.

It was unbelievable. Crazy. Impossible. Yet it seemed to be exactly what it looked like. Zuko cleared his throat.

“…Toph?” he whispered.

The anxious expression on her face fell away. It was replaced by a smug smirk that deepened the unsettling creases on her face. “Yep,” she answered.

Zuko’s let his shoulders fall with something akin to defeat. Looking around again, he asked himself how come he was always the unlucky one. “This is weird,” he complained to the woman who was speedily covering the short expanse between them. When Toph was nose-to-chest with Zuko, she reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder. In return, he looked down at her old, weathered, smiling face and remarked, “It’s going to suck too, isn’t it?”

Toph laughed. Her whole body, which Zuko could feel through her touch was far from frail, shook with the sound. “Totally weird,” she agreed. Grin growing sharp and self-assured, Toph told him, “But I think you’re going to be surprised how much this _won’t_ suck.”

-o-O-o-

Iroh could only boggle at the sight of his supposed grandfather. Toph had already given him a very summarized rundown of what happened before bringing the teenager here to his army’s encampment, yet it was entirely different to see them in person. His grandfather still had his scar and his pissy expression was the same one he’d seen his niece wear plenty of times. Even with these clear indicators of his identity, Iroh felt doubt.

The way he stood, how he really wouldn’t look at anyone very long, and kept his eyes low made him seem more a commoner than a prince. He had no confidence. As Toph stood there, practically entirely in front of the boy (shielding him, the back of his mind whispered), Iroh finally murmured, “ _This_ is… Grandfather?”

The teenager’s brows furrowed and he stared harder at the ground as Toph, frowning at him, said, “Yes.”

Finally, the teenager lifted his face. “I’m a Grandfather?” he said, looking briefly at Iroh before settling his gaze on the back of Toph’s head. “ _His_ Grandfather?”

Toph turned her face around to look at the teenager. Her profile was lit with a grin. “Got it in one, Sparky,” she praised. “You have a daughter and another grandkid back in the fire nation too.”

The eye still capable of a range of emoting widened as his grandfather paled. “No.”

Iroh sighed and resisted the urge to begin massaging his temple. This was a headache, but he didn’t want to make the kid feel like a burden. Iroh adored his grandfather. “Please,” he said. “Will you say what _exactly_ happened?”

Toph turned back around and gave a big shrug of her shoulders. “Got me,” she replied. Face grim, she told Iroh, “What I can say is we were in the spirit wilds. Everything seemed in order, Zuko was his usual self, the people we passed all seemed relatively calm. I remember right before shit happened we were discussing how much the world has changed—” 

Iroh resisted the urge to sigh, but couldn’t stop himself looking skyward. 

Toph, who’d fallen silent almost as soon as he looked up, grumbled, “I can hear that eye roll from here, Iroh.”

He blinked as Zuko, behind Toph, hid a laugh with a very fake sounding cough. Iroh knew Toph’s other senses were brilliant at giving her a lot of info she, as a blind woman, should not know. Yet did it really stretch so far she could hear the roll of his eyes in his sockets? Her hard expression wasn’t wavering, so he had to relent. Even if she was bluffing somehow and just guessed his reaction with scary accuracy, Iroh didn’t think she was going to say more without an apology. “Sorry,” he said, doing his best to sound truly apologetic and not sulky.

Toph nodded. “It’s whatever,” she grumbled, crossing her arms. She raised a hand in a waving off motion. “My grandkids are the same,” she said. Almost smiling and in a kinder voice, she teased, “It’s not like you’ve gone from riding on a Flying Bison to a Biplane the way we have.”

Iroh saw from the corner of his eye his grandfather’s head tilt and mouth a word. Biplanes, Iroh thought. That was going to be fun to explain later Iroh mused before refocusing on Toph who was finally getting back to her story. “ _Anyway_ ,” she began, “Zuko said something about how he thought being able to know this would be the future when he was sixteen would have made the first few years after the war less daunting. A little while after that his heart rate went wild and then kind of stopped a second before it was fluttering again.”

“…That sounds related,” Iroh commented after a moment of stupefaction.

Toph sighed. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Don’t worry, though,” she told him. “We know people who’re like this with the Spirit World,” she declared, lifting a hand, the fingers on it crossed.

Iroh was not terribly comforted and a glance at his supposed grandfather showed he felt similar. “Erh, good,” he said all the same. Moving forward then, he passed right by the old woman and leaned in close to stare at his grandfather. The teenager was stiff and his jaw clenched as Iroh studied him. He really did look like family, his grandfather, yet… that doubt was back. Maybe it was just denial. Iroh wasn’t exactly looking forward to having a child-grandfather to worry about for who knew how long.

That was even more nerve-wracking than having a very old grandfather.

“He _looks_ like Grandfather’s portrait,” he said as he stepped back and turned his head to stare at the old woman who stood aside, impassively facing their direction. “Toph, you know with complete certainty this is him?” Iroh asked.

Toph huffed at Iroh, insulted. “Look, I know the last time I heard _that_ voice I was a kid too, but I know it’s my friend.”

“I’m not a kid!” snapped Grandfather. “Tomorrow I will— Was? Crowned Fire Lord.”

Toph laughed at Grandfather and reached over and clapped his back with enough strength to make the teenager stumble forward. “Sure, kiddo.”

“Ugh,” grumbled the teenager, and Iroh could only feel horror at the sight of him pouting at the old woman. He knew there hadn’t been a lot of options at the time, but they really let this _child_ be in charge of a nation? “You sound like _such_ an old grandma, Toph,” he jabbed.

Toph grinned at Iroh’s grandfather with all her teeth. “You know, that’s not an insult to me,” she said. “I am old and a grandma. Probably more times over than you want to know too.”

The teenager blanched at her words. “…Do the rest of the gang have grandkids too?” he asked in a whisper after a beat.

Toph’s grin faded slightly. “Mostly,” she answered and Iroh wondered if they should tell him Aang and Sokka were dead. It seemed a little cruel to him. This was a boy and upsetting him with news of their deaths when he would be back where he belonged in (hopefully) a day or two seemed wrong.

Iroh decided as long as this wasn’t an extended incident, he would be making no mention of their passings. 

He cleared his throat, drawing the sulky teenager and smiling woman’s attention back to him. “What should we do with Grand—” he stopped. For a beat, Iroh stared at the face of the teenager looking back at him. “No, I can’t call him that,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “My niece will be his age in a few _months._ ” He looked at Toph. “What should we do with Zuko?”

“I have _great-grandchildren_?” Zuko mumbled, sounding stunned.

Iroh and Toph ignored him. “I’d say take him back home, show Zuko the change he’s brought to his nation, buuut…” she drawled.

Iroh sighed. “What?” he asked.

“He should probably stay close in case fixing this calls for him to be in the city,” she replied.

He rubbed his temples. “Right,” he muttered. Where was he going to keep Zuko if he stayed here? The encampment was a possibility, but it wouldn’t be the best place Iroh thought. Maybe his cousin Quon’s family would be happy to host him for a few days. They lived here in the city and not far at all from where Iroh was currently stationed.

As Iroh continued to debate places to keep Zuko, Toph carried on and said, “I’ll call up Tenzin and Jinora. I’m sure they’ll have some ideas about this.”

“What are we to do with Zuko in the meantime?” he asked her, hoping she had a better idea than him about where to keep his very vulnerable grandfather.

“You don’t have to ‘do’ anything with me,” the teenager snapped. “I can stay right here,” he declared, gesturing to Iroh’s spartan room.

“That might not be the best idea,” he said to Zuko. “This is a military camp. You’re going to stand out, especially when you start to trail me around.”

Zuko’s expression changed. It was tense with worry as he asked, “Don’t people respect you?” He whispered, “Like you?”

Before Iroh could answer, Toph jumped right in. “Oh, they do,” she assured his grandfather. Reaching over, she squeezed Iroh’s shoulder and flashed a smirk at Zuko. “Your grandson has all of your uncle’s charm.”

Iroh’s cheeks heated up at the words. Being compared to his namesake always left him feeling a little embarrassed and proud. “Toph,” he chided.

She ignored him. “What _he’s_ worried about is the questions,” explained the old woman. “Zuko, kiddo, you weren’t great at keeping lies straight at sixteen. You’ll get caught in one before you know it and, then! Chaos!” She pulled her hand back from Iroh's shoulder and placed it on her hip. “Possibly not the fun kind either.”

Zuko nodded. He looked a little sad but resigned. “Then…?” he asked with some hesitation.

Iroh opened his mouth, ready to suggest they place Zuko with his cousin, but Toph said, “I got an apartment in the city.”

That was a generous offer. Far more generous than Iroh felt he could accept. “Toph—”

“No, nope, nuh-huh, General,” she cut in. Moving toward him, she reached up and patted his cheek. “You let your old Auntie Toph do this for you. You two bunk there. I’ll go impose on one of my daughters,” she declared. “Lin, probably.”

Iroh felt uneasy at her words. The last he'd heard, the two weren’t exactly on good terms. “Will Chief Beifong be… okay… with that?” he asked, careful to not give too much away in front of the boy watching them.

Toph gave a flippant shrug of her shoulders. “There are hotels too,” she said. “Someplace will no doubt fall over themselves to host _Toph_ Beifong if she won’t.”

He laughed. The woman had a point about that at least. Smiling at her, he said, making sure his gratitude imbued his voice, “Thank you, Toph.”

“Don’t mention it, kiddo,” she replied. Squeezing his forearm. “This is what friends are for.”

-o-O-o-

“You can sleep here,” Iroh decided after opening the bedroom door. There were two beds, which no doubt meant this was Chief Beifong and Suyin’s room once upon a time. Zuko peered inside around Iroh’s arm.

“Sure,” he agreed. “Was this a girls’ room?” he asked, pointing at a little vanity in the right-hand corner of the room that held a jewelry box and delicate figurines. 

Iroh nodded. “Toph’s daughters’ room,” he explained. “We can go to the living room in a minute and look at the pictures on the walls. There aren’t a lot of them, seeing as Toph can’t see, but one or two will be of Chief Beifong and Suyin as children.”

Zuko nodded. “Will you be staying in here too?” he questioned. 

Iroh blinked at the teenager. “If you don’t mind sharing,” he said. “Otherwise, I can sleep in Toph’s bedroom.”

He shrugged. “I’m pretty used to sleeping around others these days,” admitted Zuko. “I’d be fine with sharing.”

Iroh wondered if there was more to the offer. If Zuko didn’t _want_ to sleep alone. It wouldn’t surprise him if he didn’t. This was no doubt a very frightening experience for him. However, Iroh knew better than to ask. Teenagers were touchy in his experience. If he tried, Zuko would bluster and get angry and quite possibly insist on sleeping alone to “prove” himself to Iroh.

Iroh didn’t want to do that to the teenager.

“Can I ask some questions?” the boy said, stepping back and looking up at him. 

Iroh shut the door to the bedroom and agreed, “Of course you can, Zuko.” Gesturing for the teenager to follow, he led them into the pristine living room. He would have to tell Toph to compliment the cleaning service she had come through her apartment. 

The windows were letting in bright light and the dust on the hard surfaces was nothing a quick wipe with a cloth wouldn’t get rid of. He sat down on one of the room’s two sofas and crossed his legs. Smiling up at the teenager from where he was, he remarked to Zuko, “I bet you have a lot of questions.” he chuckled into his hand. “This is all very unsettling for you no doubt.”

Zuko looked at the other sofa before lowering himself to sit on the edge of one of the cushions. “Thanks,” he said. A hesitant expression overcame his features before he stammered, “Our family, can you, uh, tell me a little about them?”

Iroh’s smile widened. He was not surprised at all Zuko wanted to know about their family. It had always been clear to him that his grandfather valued them far more than he valued anything else — even their beloved nation. “Sure,” he replied. Lifting a hand, he began to count off their current members for the teenager. 

“There’s me, of course,” he began, “I’m your grandson. I have a sister as well. A twin, in fact. She has two children. A girl who’s, well, your age and a twelve-year-old boy.” Zuko’s eyes were wide and he smothered down laughter. “Then there’s Mother,” he told him. “Izumi, your daughter.”

“Izumi…” he murmured. A slight furrow came to the teenager’s brows and Iroh thought he could surmise why. Zuko was not an only child, nor had his father been, and Iroh had just told him he was himself a twin. As well as that his sister had two of her own.

“She’s your only child,” he explained.

The small canyon between Zuko’s brows smoothed into a plain. “Oh,” he said, looking away. Possibly he was ashamed of his relief. It had been propaganda in his grandfather’s youth to instill in their citizens that it was their duty to have large families. Iroh didn’t judge his grandfather for his choices. From the stories he’d been told, from knowing his Aunt himself, Iroh would have felt reluctant to have more than one child if he were in his grandfather’s place.

“I know you love your sisters very much, but I think your complicated relationship with Great Aunt ‘Zula put you off the idea of more,” he told the silent teenager.

Zuko started to nod, only for his good and bad eye to grow in size. Gaze trained on Iroh, he said, “Wait, sisters?”

For a brief moment, Iroh stared back at Zuko. Then it dawned on him. Zuko hadn’t been crowned Fire Lord yet let alone found his mother and her family! “That’s right!” he exclaimed. “You haven’t even found your mother, have you?” 

Zuko’s Adam's apple bobbed beneath the skin of his throat. Voice hoarse, he whispered, “Mom’s alive?”

Iroh winced, realizing he’d made a misstep. It was really too easy to forget how turbulent his grandfather’s life once was, how many mysteries there were for him to solve about his own _family_. “Oh no,” he said to Zuko, dismayed. “I’m sorry,” apologized Iroh. “I’ve overwhelmed you, haven’t I?”

The boy shook his head, bangs drifting in and out of his eyes. “It’s fine,” he assured Iroh. “I just thought—” he stopped and ducked his head. In a whisper, he admitted, “I thought Ozai probably had her murdered.”

Iroh felt compelled to reach over and place a hand on Zuko’s knee. The boy jolted but did not move away from his touch. It was saddening to see just how jumpy his grandfather once was, but Iroh was also appreciative that even though they were more strangers than family right now, Zuko trusted him enough to let his hand comfort him. “No,” he replied. “He didn’t.” Iroh offered a half-smile. “Thank Agni for that, yeah?”

“So, she’s alive?” asked Zuko, watching Iroh carefully.

His smile ran away from his face and brought his hand back to rub the back of his neck.“…She passed away about a decade back,” he told Zuko whose face fell for a moment before turning uncomfortably emotionless. “You held a very beautiful service for her,” he reassured the teenager. 

“Oh,” said Zuko.

Iroh bit the inside of his cheek. “We’ll get you home and you’ll see her again very soon,” he told Zuko. Iroh didn’t touch his knee this time, but he scooted down the sofa he sat on to be closer to his grandfather. “I promise, Zuko. You’ll get to have many happy years with her.”

Zuko gave a sigh that shuddered slightly. “Yeah.”

Iroh hated to see the heavy slope to the teenager’s shoulders. He was more than disappointed, he was devastated. Iroh needed to think of a way to comfort him and distract him. Fast. It took a minute of scrambling through ideas, but, finally, he offered up to the teenager, “Maybe, depending on how long this goes on, you can meet Kiyi and her family.”

Interest sparked on Zuko’s blank face. “Kiyi?”

“Your youngest sister,” answered Iroh only to wrinkle his nose. _He_ never cared to make the distinction. It didn’t matter in their family her father wasn't Ozai. Kiyi had always been one of his aunties and treated with the exact same amount of respect, love, and consideration as Aunt Azula. “Half, I suppose, if you want to be technical,” he went on. “Great-Grandmother Ursa had her while in hiding with her husband, Great-Grandfather Noren.”

Zuko’s jaw dropped and he held back a laugh. “Mom remarried,” said Zuko

Iroh smirked. “It’s really quite the story,” he said. Giving one of Zuko’s knees a nudge with his own, he told him, hoping to assure him he’d be home to experience all of the stories Iroh knew so well, “You’re going to like it when she tells you, I just know it.”

Zuko’s shock now faded, and was replaced with doubt. A surprisingly grim amount. “If you say so,” he replied with a short shrug that made Iroh hold back a frown. Why didn’t he believe Iroh’s account? 

He chose not to dwell on it in favor of telling Zuko more about the little sister he would soon meet back in his own time. “Kiyi lives in Hira’a these days,” he began. “She and her husband moved there to stay after Ursa’s passing with her father. Great-Grandfather Noren wanted to live his last years in the place he and Ursa fell in love. He passed away a year or two after Ursa and Kiyi and her husband decided to stay in Hira’a.” Zuko’s expression became one of distaste. Iroh pondered if the teenager just didn’t like hearing about his parents’ love-life. Iroh used to get a little flustered in his own youth when his parents were a bit too affectionate around him and Honoria. 

“Her youngest son continues to live in the palace and is one of my mother’s advisors,” he said. Iroh smiled a little as he told Zuko about Quon. “Her oldest, however, actually lives here in Republic City with his wife and three children.” Trying to gauge his interest, he suggested, “You can meet them if you’re this way more than a day or two.”

Zuko ignored his offer and asked instead, “What about Azula?” His jaw was tense and there was a clearly anxious air to him.

“Azula lives mostly in the palace these days,” Iroh told Zuko. The teenager released an audible breath and leaned back against the sofa. “When I was younger, and mother was a child, she was off on business on your behalf around the nation,” he explained, which made the boy twitch. 

He looked at Iroh through his bangs and mumbled, “She got better?”

Iroh nodded. That was probably too simplistic a way to put it, he knew, but as a whole, he was sure Zuko would find his sister to be “better” than he remembered her. “Yes,” he replied. Iroh hated to leave it there, however. His grandfather deserved a little more honesty than that. “That isn’t to say she doesn’t have bad days, or weeks if I’m being truthful…” he trailed off a little and assessed Zuko’s expression. He was absorbed in Iroh’s words, all of the moodiness that had come with the news of his mother’s death and new family gone. “But most of the time, Great Aunt Azula is quite cordial, if a little intense.”

Zuko leaned in closer, this time, he was the one to bump knees with Iroh. “Do we get along now?” he asked, hushed.

Iroh grinned at the teenager. “Yes,” he said, only to sigh and correct himself. “Well, sometimes you argue, but my sister and I argue too from time to time.” He laughed. “I think all siblings must no matter their age.”

Zuko’s eagerness faded and a more tepid expression took his countenance. “Maybe,” he replied. “I don’t know many adult siblings very well.”

Iroh felt confused at the teenager's words. Did not know adult siblings well? What were Iroh’s namesake and Ozai if not brothers? “But Great Uncle Iroh and your father…?”

The teenager looked away and began to fiddle with the fabric of his pants. “They hardly ever spoke to one another even before Lu Ten died.”

Their relationship had been strained for that long? Iroh hadn’t known. He felt embarrassed by his ignorance too. It was no doubt making the boy in front of him uncomfortable to talk about it. Haltingly, he apologized, “I. Oh. Hm, sorry, Zuko.” Placing his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hand, he admitted, “I’ve always loved hearing about our family, but I have also learned to be a little careful about how probing I am about Great-Grandfather.” He cringed to himself and mumbled, “I don’t know why, but I assumed that they must have been at least polite before, well…”

“The Agni Kai?” uttered Zuko in the far too silent room.

He looked away from the teenager, from the scar that marred his face. “Yes.”

Zuko’s voice was husky, but not upset as he told Iroh, “I’m not sure Father ever liked Uncle. Uncle has never said, but I don’t think he ever really liked him either.” 

For a beat, all Iroh could do was stare. He’d never known any of that. Iroh had been warned practically from infancy to not pry too much when it came to the more painful parts of his grandfather’s life. He was realizing now that his total avoidance was a mistake.

This teenager, raw and on edge, was having to explain an entire history that Iroh should know better than him. He blinked hard a couple of times. “I am sorry, Zuko,” he said, trying his best to imbue his tone with the sincere regret he felt. “I promise it’s not like that anymore,” he swore. “All of our family is very close. My sister and I are good friends, even during and after arguments. Her children are a rather typical preteen and teenager who tease each other and fight from time to time, but they’re just as fast to cause mischief together and _always_ defend one another when they have to.”

Zuko’s face was pensieve. “That’s. Nice,” he said. “I didn’t realize, uh, our family could be like that ever…” Zuko scrubbed a hand through his hair and gave Iroh a small smile. “Thanks for answering my questions.”

Iroh grinned in return. “Of course,” he replied. “Anything for you, Zuko.”

The teenager's expression shifted toward surprise and his mouth parted with the beginning of a question, however, it was drowned out by a knock at the apartment door followed by someone (Toph) noisily opening it. "I've got dinner!" she called out into the apartment. "Come and get it!"

The boy scrunched his features and Iroh copied him a moment. He couldn't hold the expression for long, however, and laughed in the end. "Let's go eat. I know Toph isn't one to wait to dig in," he said.

Zuko nodded. "She didn't pick her manners back up as she grew?" he asked as they headed into the kitchen.

Iroh shook his head. "Not with us, her friends."

"I like that some things are the same," murmured Zuko as they stood up from the couch.

He itched to pull the teenager into a side-embrace — the way he would with his nephew or niece. However, Iroh controlled the urge. A kid as skittish as Zuko probably would not take well to such a thing from him. Instead, he huffed his amusement and quoted a familiar adage for Zuko, "How's it go? The more things change, the more they stay the same?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Ugh," he grumbled. "My Iroh likes stupid sayings too." Iroh started to smirk, pleased by the comparison. However, his joy was short-lived. Quieter, likely not intending for him to hear, Zuko added, "Except his aren't so boring."

Iroh stilled, stunned. The teenager didn't notice, he was already halfway into the kitchen to fight for his share of the meal Toph had brought. When he regained his composure, Iroh shook his head, feeling dejected. His grandfather would never say anything unkind about him, but Zuko, this _boy_ had no qualms. He wondered what other things the boy would have no problem doing.

He sighed into a hand. The next few days were going to be extremely trying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is my deeper foray into the atla/lok fandom. I'm still writing the rest of this story, but I do think it will be three chapters when I'm finished. What are your impressions of this chapter? Are you excited for Zuko to get to see a little of the future and bond with Iroh?
> 
> If you'd like to understand the premise of this story further, take a look at this [post](https://itslucyluna.tumblr.com/post/631884740337827840/i-have-to-ask-about-zuko-future-d-im-already) on my [tumblr](https://itslucyluna.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Thank you for reading and please let me know your thoughts with a comment and/or kudo :)


	2. Study of a Teenage Fire Lord

The next morning, Iroh woke and looked across the room to see Zuko still in his borrowed bed. His narrow back was to Iroh, shoulders moving up and down in a steady rhythm. A peek at the room’s window to the right of Zuko told him the sun was quickly rising. He huffed just shy of audibly. Trust that no matter their nation, their element, all teens would sleep until the sun was well in the sky given the chance. 

Getting out of his bed, he re-made it with the perfect precision the army had taught him. He then dressed and headed into the kitchen. It didn’t take terribly long for him to realize that Toph had no food in her apartment. All there did seem to be was a few spices and a wooden box of tea in one cupboard next to another one filled with cups. He sighed. He should have known this would be the case. He knew this wasn’t Toph’s main residence any more. 

All the same, Iroh took out a couple of the cups and the tea. He also filled a kettle he found in another cupboard. Before warming it, however, he debated about running out to get a quick breakfast of some pastries or fresh buns from the bakery he knew was on this street. Iroh really didn’t eat too much in the mornings, but Zuko…

He was a teenager. If Zuko was anything like him and his sister Honoria had been then, he’d not just want breakfast, but _demand_ it. He looked in the direction of the bedroom. Iroh wasn’t excited at the thought of leaving his young grandfather alone, but it was just down the street…

He’d be gone fifteen minutes at most.

Iroh placed the kettle down on the kitchen table and headed for the door.

-O-

Almost as soon as Iroh returned with breakfast and put it on a plate, Zuko appeared in the kitchen’s doorway. His hair was a little messier than the day before and there were creases in his clothes from being folded up at the end of his borrowed bed. Iroh smiled. “Good morning, Zuko,” he said.

“Hmph,” grunted the teenager. Moving into the room, he took one of the steam buns Iroh had just placed on the plate. He looked through his fringe up at Iroh and mumbled, “Hi.”

“You’re usually a morning person,” Iroh remarked, thinking of his grandfather and how, when he was Zuko’s age, the old man would wake him at dawn for fire-bending training. “I’m sorry, did I snore?” he joked.

Zuko took a bite of his bun and chewed it slowly. “It’s not that,” he replied, looking away. “And you did snore.”

Iroh winced. Teenagers didn’t pull punches, did they? “Then…?” he asked, uncertain.

“I just couldn’t sleep,” Zuko admitted with a small sigh. “There’s a lot to worry about.” A frown pulled at the corners of his lips. “I was supposed to be crowned Fire Lord today.”

“Ah, yes, you did mention that,” replied Iroh, recalling yesterday and Zuko bringing it up when they were trying to figure out when in his grandfather’s past the teenager was from.

“Obviously, that’s not true anymore,” continued Zuko. His expression turned pensive and he stared at his partially eaten steam bun. The insides were a sweet bean paste. Iroh had felt his now teenage grandfather would appreciate starting his day on a sugary note. Zuko didn’t take another bite but lowered his hand holding it to his side. “So now I have to wonder what happens if I don’t go home soon?” he asked, staring at Iroh.

Iroh racked his brain a moment. He started, “Well—”

Zuko cut him off, hypothesizing his own theory to Iroh. “They could try to crown Uncle, but that would probably just make the war with the Earth Kingdom worse,” he remarked.

He frowned at that. Surely Zuko was mistaken. Everyone had adored his namesake. The Earth Kingdom had _let_ Iroh run a tea shop in their nation after the war. No one had a bad word to say at his funeral. “Uncle is amazing, though?” he replied.

The teenager rolled his eyes. “Sure, to _us_ he is,” he mumbled. “Once, though, he was terrible to Ba Sing Se and that’s how they remember him best,” he went on, tone taking a dark note and Iroh flinched. It was never that he’d forgotten his namesake’s militaristic pursuits (Iroh had become a general for a _reason_ ), but compared to everything else… It felt short-sighted to remember him as only a dutiful cog of their nation’s army. Zuko groaned and rubbed his head with his free hand. “This is going to end in disaster,” he complained.

“…I really don’t think that’s true,” said Iroh after a pause. If everything was going poorly back in time, surely things would not be so peaceful now? “We’re here, aren’t we?” he asked, gesturing widely at himself and then at Zuko. “The world outside is standing and all of the nations exist.”

He clapped a hand on the teenager’s shoulder. Even now it held power, but it was enveloped by his larger hand. Zuko had yet to grow into his prime. “I can’t say I know what happens after this for you, Zuko. It seems to me whatever negotiations Jinora and Tenzin have with the spirit world on your behalf will end well and everything will be put right again,” he concluded, smiling in reassurance at the nonplussed boy.

Zuko stepped back and out of his grip. “Nothing ever goes that smoothly for me,” he declared like a threat — or, maybe, a warning.

Iroh showed his palms to the boy. “I don’t know what to say to that,” he said. His grandfather had never seemed that unlucky to him. In fact, Iroh had thought he was always _very_ lucky. Against all odds, he’d changed the world for the better.

Zuko’s expression turned sulky. He took another bite from his bun before he grumbled, “Uncle always knows what to say, even if I don’t want to hear it or like it.”

Iroh winced. Sage advice was not something he had mastered yet. Certainly not in confusing, wrought situations like this one. “I’m sorry, Zuko, truly,” he said, hoping it would be enough for the teenager.

The boy’s face fell. “Whatever,” he muttered.

Iroh sighed. “I could make you some tea?”

“You’re making fun of me,” snapped Zuko, suddenly upset.

“What?” sputtered Iroh, shocked by the boy’s reaction. “No!” he wouldn’t dare to make fun of his grandfather, not when he was already in such a distressed state. 

“I’m going to see if I can get any sleep,” proclaimed Zuko, turning around and walking back in the direction of the bedroom. He paused a moment and looked over his shoulder. “You can knock on the bedroom door when Toph arrives,” he told Iroh.

“Zuko,” he called after the boy as he opened the door and stepped inside. The teenager ignored him and the door shut. Loudly. Iroh exhaled in defeat and placed his face in his hands. He’d thought his niece Azira was a handful. 

Zuko blew her out of the water.

-O-

Iroh was alerted to Toph’s presence not by her knocking on the apartment’s door, but appearing in the doorway of the kitchen. He barely stopped himself from spilling tea all over the paper he’d bought at the bakery and brought back to read. “General,” she said, smirking at him.

Putting down the paper and tea, Iroh got up to meet the old woman. He offered her a hand, which she took. “Hello, Toph,” he replied politely. “How are you?”

Her head turned slightly, but he knew she was not searching the kitchen the way he might, but through her ears and feet. “Fine,” she answered. “Where’s the kiddo?” she asked next.

Iroh cringed. He’d known this would come up sooner rather than later. “Your daughters’ old bedroom,” he answered. Quieter, almost meekly, he admitted, “I… I upset him.” 

Toph blinked. “Oh?” she said.

Iroh sighed and nodded. “He’s worried about, well, the world,” he explained, gesturing uselessly for Toph. “I’m afraid I couldn’t find the right words to put him at ease, and then I tried to offer tea—”

Toph snorted, drowning out the rest of his story. “—Bad move there, soldier boy,” she told him.

Iroh still didn’t know if he understood why that had been a poor choice, but he did know it _was_ now. “I learned,” he replied, doing his best to not sound snappy. This was _Toph_ and she was _helping_ his grandfather.

She shrugged, seemingly unaffected by his tone. “Well, not much to be done now,” she said. “Tenzin said he would be by with Jinora to assess the situation soon.”

Iroh felt relief take the twinge out of his tense shoulders. “Good,” he replied.

“Let’s go see if lil’ol’me being here will coax him out,” she joked before walking in the direction of her daughters’ room. She moved deftly, showing that even years later, she knew the apartment like the back of her hand.

Iroh followed Toph and remarked, voicing his hopes in the process, “I think it will bring Zuko back out.”

Toph chuckled but quickly tensed when she stopped in front of the bedroom door. She said over her shoulder to Iroh, “Something’s wrong.”

He moved to stand beside her. Her face was pulled in a frown and she had a hand on the door’s handle. “What?” he asked.

She turned her head in the direction of his voice and told him, “I’m not feeling _anything_ alive on the other side of the door.”

“Nothing?” he echoed. For a moment he was confused, then controlled panic took him (he’d learned years ago how to be clear-headed even in the worst-case scenarios). “That can’t be,” he denied. Placing his hand on Toph’s, he pushed the handle down and opened the door. He started to say, “Zuko—” only to stop when he saw that Toph was right. There _was_ no living thing anywhere in sight. “He’s not here.”

“Any signs where he may have gone?” she questioned, brushing past him to step into the bedroom.

Iroh shook his head. He didn’t see any obvious indicators. He wasn’t sure how Zuko did it either. This apartment was on the third floor of the building and there were no doors or window ladders out of this room to the street below. “No,” he answered. “I can’t possibly imagine how he left,” he said, voicing his thoughts. racking his brain for an out-of-place sound he may have heard earlier, Iroh came up with nothing. “I never heard the front door open and close.”

Toph’s face was pointed in the direction of the room’s window. The curtains were pushed aside, the ends fluttering a little with a light breeze coming in. “Is there an open window?” she demanded.

Iroh pursed his lips. “Yes,” he answered. 

Toph groaned. “Damnit,” she cursed.

“What?” asked Iroh, anxious. He could feel he was missing something, but what?

Toph turned her face in his direction, expression a mixture of annoyed and miserable. “Your grandfather ever tell you about when he masqueraded as the Blue Spirit?”

He furrowed his brows and placed a thumb on his chin. “Of course,” he replied. “But what does that have to—” his words abruptly turned into a horrified gasp. Zuko hadn’t! They weren’t enemies! If Zuko had come out of this room, he and Iroh could have talked more, he could have helped the teenager. It still would have meant waiting for Toph, but they could have still done things faster if he wanted. “No!” he denied.

The old woman only sighed. “If I know your grandfather as well as I think I do, I’m pretty sure I can guess where he’s going,” she said.

Iroh could as well. Zuko no doubt paid very close attention to where he’d started the day before and the paths they took to get to this apartment. He was going to go back to the spirit wilds and probably do something terribly stupid. “I can too,” he replied.

Toph shook her head and went and sat on one of her daughter’s beds. “I’ll stay here and wait for Tenzin and Jinora,” she said, assertive. To Iroh, she suggested, “Why don’t you see if you can find him and drag him back?” In a dark mutter, she added, “I doubt he’d have much luck getting the spirits who messed with him to listen.”

Iroh nodded. Toph was right. The spirits had their own ideas about many things and rarely could a person do much to make them think differently. Iroh sincerely doubted his teenage grandfather was one of those rare people who could make spirits see human-sense. “Hopefully I won’t be terribly long,” he said. “I don’t imagine he could get too far on foot without money.”

Toph’s mouth twitched. “I’d check your wallet if I were you.”

Iroh’s eyes blew wide. “He knows how to pick-pocket?”

She shrugged. “Zuko’s always been emotional and not the most brilliant strategist— especially at sixteen, but I wouldn’t put it past him to have figured out he’d need money and find a moment to get some off you.”

“Like while I was sleeping and he wasn’t,” said Iroh more to himself than Toph. She snickered at him. Realizing there was no time to waste, he apologized to the old woman. “I’m sorry about all of this,” he said. “I will have him back soon. There are steam buns and tea in your kitchen if you’d like to help yourself while I and Zuko are away.”

She grinned. “Don’t mind if I do,” she said before getting to her feet. Then, as she passed him on the way out of the room, clapped his shoulder and said, “Good luck.”

-o-O-o-

Before Zuko could hop on one of the moving metal boxes he heard people calling “streetcars”, somebody grabbed the back of his shirt. Training and panic taking him, he balled a hand into a fist and lit it on fire. There were some murmurings of surprise around him, but he ignored them in favor of trying to take out his attacker.

Unfortunately, they were more experienced than he was and blocked his fist. Before he could try again, a voice, one he had heard hardly an hour ago, said, tone firm and annoyed, “Zuko.”

He went limp and stared up through his fringe at his supposed grandson. That probably wasn’t fair of him to think. He obviously was family. The shape of his face, the way his jaw was clenched, reminded Zuko of his father. A tremor ran down his back.

Even when his dad was trying to be charming, he didn’t manage to come off half as friendly as Iroh had during their conversations yesterday and this morning. He probably was actually nice, like Uncle, like Mom had been (was?). Hopefully, that meant whatever punishment he gave Zuko now wouldn’t be too awful. Uncle liked to make Zuko meditate sometimes, but, mostly, had him do stupid, boring Fire-bending forms over and over until he told him to stop. 

“You found me,” he replied weakly to the man.

Iroh rolled his eyes. “Yes, I did,” he said. He then reached down and grabbed Zuko around the arm. He tensed beneath the grip, and, thankfully, Iroh lessened the strength of it slightly. “I don’t know what you were thinking,” he chided, “but you will not be left alone again anytime soon.”

Zuko scowled. “I need to go home,” he snapped at Iroh. “And you’re all treating this like it isn’t a big deal.”

The man’s face changed again into something very serious. For a moment, he let go of Zuko. Before he could get out of the range of the man’s hand, however, it resettled on Zuko’s shoulder. “Look at me, Zuko,” urged Iroh.

Internally, he deliberated for a moment, but in the end, raised his gaze to meet Iroh’s. “We do understand how serious this is,” he told Zuko. “We’re doing everything to fix this as fast as we can.” 

He felt like arguing, surely they weren’t. Otherwise, he’d be home, wouldn’t he? Everyone had to wonder where he’d gone. His Uncle especially. Zuko didn’t want to voice it, but he was afraid. What if the longer he stayed here this seemingly nice future began to change little by little, become less dreamlike and more nightmarish?

Iroh seemed to understand his silence all too well and his shoulders fell. “Let’s just go back to Toph’s apartment,” he said. “I’m sure Tenzin and Jinora are already there waiting for us.”

Zuko didn’t want to. He’d much rather they go back where he started yesterday and try and fix this themselves. He knew, though, Iroh wouldn’t agree. He seemed adamant that this Tenzin and Jinora were the only way. He decided to ask about the two, “Who _are_ Tenzin and Jinora?”

The man grinned, his fingers tightening their hold on him a moment. “Aang and Katara’s youngest son and oldest granddaughter.”

He blinked. Zuko _had_ sort of expected the two would probably become a couple, possibly marry, but to know they’d gone and had children and now had grandchildren… Well. It was a little different. “How old are they?” he asked. “Is Jinora your age?”

“Oh, no,” replied Iroh with a laugh. “Tenzin began his family later. We are much nearer in age than Jinora and I. Jinora, if I recall, is fourteen or fifteen.” He smiled. “Perhaps you’ll find things to talk about? She’s quite adventured herself.”

Zuko wasn’t half as amused as Iroh. He’d sort of hoped teenagers of the future weren’t doing the kinds of things he and his friends were. A lot of it had _not_ been fun. It wasn’t now. He looked away from Iroh and let him guide them back toward Toph’s apartment. “Hmph,” he grumbled.

-o-O-o-

Opening the door of the apartment, Iroh pressed Zuko past the threshold and inside before he walked in and closed the door. “I found him,” he called out to Toph, Tenzin, and Jinora.

“Great!” yelled back Toph. “Bring him in here!”

Iroh looked at the teenager and found him to be scowling. He sighed. “Shall we?” he asked him.

Zuko scoffed. “Do I really have a choice?” he demanded.

He held back an urge to cringe from the tone. It was harsh and reminded him of the rare rebuke he’d get from his grandfather after doing something particularly dangerous. Instead, Iroh squeezed the sharp shoulder still beneath his hand before steering Zuko forward into the earthy-toned kitchen. There, they found Toph sitting at one end of the table, Tenzin at the other, and Jinora in a chair between them. 

Jinora and Tenzin stared at Zuko. Tenzin’s features were much more controlled than his daughter’s, but even he could not entirely hide how mystified he was by the sight of Iroh’s teenage grandfather. Jinora bit her lip and Iroh didn’t know if she was trying to hide a smile or holding back questions. In case it was the latter, Iroh guided Zuko nearer the table and made introductions.

“Zuko, this is Tenzin,” he said, gesturing at the bald man. Zuko gave a small bow while Tenzin dipped his chin. He Then pointed at Jinora. “And his daughter, Jinora.”

“Hi,” said the girl, smiling at Zuko with eyes that were still just a fraction too wide.

Zuko nodded and Tenzin cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him. “Hello, Zuko,” he said in a calm, kind voice. He placed a hand on his chest and told him, “I want to assure you myself and my daughter will do everything in our power to return you to your rightful state.”

Zuko’s shoulder lost some of the tension under Iroh’s hand. “Thanks,” the teenager said. “I, uh, appreciate that.”

Tenzin’s face lifted with a smile. “You’re welcome.”

“Oh,” murmured Zuko, blinking. “You looked like Katara then.”

Tenzin’s smile widened. “Is that so?” he said, twisting a tuft of hair in his beard. “I can’t say I’m often compared to my mother.”

Zuko looked down. “Because you’re airbenders?” he asked. He pointed at his forehead. “You have the same tattoos as Aang…”

Tenzin nodded. “Yes,” he replied. “Often people are reminded of my father only.”

This answer seemed to unsettle Zuko as he said, “I hope you’re not all airbenders.” He flushed when Tenzin and Jinora exchanged a look. “It’s just, Katara. She probably would have liked having a waterbender to teach…”

Tenzin nodded. “Yes,” he agreed. “You’re right.” He smiled at the teenager, eyes amused. “My mother did without a doubt enjoy teaching my older sister, Kya, to waterbend.”

Zuko relaxed at his words and Iroh decided to nudge the teenager to sit down at the table with the others. “I’m sure Toph has told her side of the story to what happened,” he remarked as he sat down next to his grandfather. “Why don’t you tell everything you remember right after appearing in the wilds with Toph?”

The boy nodded. “Right before I found myself next to Toph, I had been walking out of my room at the palace…”

-O-

Once Zuko had told his story and answered all of the questions Tenzin and Jinora had for him, he excused himself from the table to go to the living room. Iroh felt paranoia start to take him. What if he tried to slip out the window in there? Or even the front door? He tapped on the table.

He didn’t think it would go over well with the teenager if he tried to follow. Toph and Tenzin also seemed to realize this as Tenzin turned to his daughter and suggested to her, “Jinora, why don’t you go sit with Zuko?”

“You can tell him who he’s looking at in the pictures I have out there,” said Toph before she took another bite from a steam bun. With food in her mouth, she laughed. “I sure as Hell can’t.”

Jinora smiled. “All right,” she agreed. There was a bounce to her step as she left that told Iroh she was actually excited to speak with Zuko alone. She probably had all kinds of questions. Especially about the grandfather she never got to meet.

He returned his attention to Tenzin and Toph and said, “Thank you.” He sighed and resisted the urge to run a hand through his hair. “I think he’s a little upset with me,” he admitted. “Well, all of us.” 

Toph’s expression was grim and Tenzin had tilted his head in silent confusion. “All of us?” he repeated.

“Maybe not you so much yet,” said Iroh. “It’ll depend on if you and Jinora are fast about solving this I believe. For him, today he was supposed to be crowned Fire Lord.”

“No wonder he tried to go to the Wilds himself,” muttered Toph. “I hope if he’s really from the past we can put him back right when he came from.”

Iroh nodded his agreement. If they could, that would be the best for everyone. Zuko wouldn’t have to deal with the chaos of trying to explain where he went or putting an already strained nation at ease. Tenzin cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him.

“Toph,” he began, “did Zuko ever mention seeing the future to you at any point over the last seventy or so years?”

She crossed her arms and huffed, “If he did, d’you think we’d be here right now?”

Tenzin frowned. “I’m simply trying to understand,” he said, defensive. “If he never mentioned seeing the future, but he’s here now, does that mean we are changing the past? Will you have memories of him telling you about this trip after we return him? Or is he not really from the past but simply a past Zuko?”

“A past Zuko?” echoed Iroh. “What do you mean?”

“What if your grandfather hasn’t been pulled from the past at all? What if the spirit who did this simply turned back time on him as a person to when he was young?”

“…Perhaps that is what happened, if you don’t remember this, Toph. Or if Grandfather never brought it up.”

“Maybe,” agreed Toph. “Or what if he doesn’t remember this when he goes back?” she suggested. “He’s never talked about going to the past, but Zuko… He did become remarkably confident about the future pretty much overnight right before he was crowned. I thought maybe your great-uncle or even Aang talked to him.” She rubbed her chin. “But what if something about this trip left an emotional impression even if the memories disappeared?”

“It’s not an impossible theory,” replied Tenzin, stroking his beard. “Finding the spirit responsible will make it much easier to understand what’s going on,” he said. Tenzin hesitated, looking Iroh out of the corner of his eye. “Perhaps, if Toph is right, you should start to create a positive impression on your grandfather.”

“How?” asked Iroh, feeling slightly overwhelmed. “I’m not very sure he likes me much right now or would want to go anyplace with me.”

Tenzin placed a hand on his arm. “I’m sure that’s not true.” As Iroh stared at him, despondent, the man said, “Zuko is just very young and very stressed and acting out.”

Iroh was going to argue, but Toph spoke up. “Ah, it’s coming back to me.” She nodded. “Yeah, he definitely had a bit of a problem lashing out back in the day,” she admitted. “You definitely shouldn’t feel like you’re doing anything wrong.” Toph smiled at Iroh. “Tell you what, I may be an old lady now, but he seems pretty okay with me.”

He snorted and Tenzin hid a smirk.

She persevered and said, “We’ll do something together, the three of us.” 

“What do you have in mind?” asked Iroh. His first idea for bonding with his young grandfather had been to take Zuko to see their family in the city. Except he hadn’t appeared terribly enthused at the idea of meeting more family. At the time, Iroh hadn’t been sure why Zuko didn’t like the idea. Was it because he was unhappy Great-Grandmother Ursula had added to their family? Or because meeting them would mean staying in the future more than a day?

He’d have to ask later (and very carefully).

Toph scratched her chin in thought. “Hm,” she hummed. “Why not the Central Station?” she suggested. “We can show him his statue, tell him how it was made to commemorate his part in the Republic City’s creation.” She nodded her head, a smug expression taking her features. “Yeah,” she said. “That’ll really start to get it through his thick skull that he's going to do a great job at being the next Fire Lord.”

Iroh wasn’t sure about that himself. Yet he wasn’t going to disagree with Toph. She was one of grandfather’s oldest friends and had to know him better than himself. So, he smiled. “I’m sure the statue will be a good starting point,” he declared.

Tenzin made a noise of amusement.

Toph’s expression morphed into something annoyed and just a little threatening. Iroh, who did not want to get in a fight with the very accomplished bender across from him, scrambled to his feet. “Why don’t I go tell the kids we’ve figured out our plan?”

The old woman crossed her arms. “Good idea.”

Iroh hurried out of the room and into the next. As he came closer to the living room, he realized that Zuko and Jinora were actually talking to each other. It was probably not the right thing to do, but he decided to pause just outside the room and listen in on the pair.

“Her daughter is an airbender?” said Zuko to Jinora, sounding surprised.

Jinora giggled. “Yes!”

Iroh could easily picture the miffed expression Zuko had to be wearing as he asked Jinora, “But Aang isn’t her dad?”

“No, it was due to the Harmonic Convergence,” said Jinora. “That’s where those Spirit Wilds you woke up in came from too.”

There was a long silence followed by Zuko whispering, “Harmonic Convergence?”

The girl made a noise before she said, “Oh! Sorry, I forgot that’s probably not something you know about now even if it’s happened in the past.” She breathed in audibly before she explained to Zuko, “It’s this really rare thing where spirit portals open up in both poles and send spirit energy over the earth. It all ends when the avatar and Vaatu fight to decide the fate of the world. Thankfully, Korra won!”

Iroh winced.

“Uh, okay,” said Zuko and for a moment Iroh thought his grandfather hadn’t noticed. Then, he murmured, “Wait, Korra? Not Aang?”

Jinora stammered, “Oh, erh.”

“Aang died, didn’t he?”

The girl sighed. “Yeah.”

There was a pause.

“How long ago?” asked Zuko, a rough edge to his voice.

“A few years before I was born.” Jinora fell quiet a moment and Iroh was almost sure she had reached out to put a hand on Zuko's arm before she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?” demanded Zuko a little louder than probably necessary. He gentled his tone before he asked, “Did he, ah, did he die… fighting or something?”

“No,” answered the girl. “He was just weak and his heart gave out. Gran Gran and the healers he saw think all of the energy he used preserving himself in the South Pole for a hundred years finally caught up with him and well…” trailed off Jinora.

“Huh.”

“Everyone tells me that he was happy,” the girl supplied. “He was grateful he got to live as long as he did once he realized what was happening. He never got to meet us, I know, but he still kind of got the grandkid experience? He saw your grandkids pretty frequently when he visited you.”

Iroh felt an unnecessary stab of guilt at Jinora’s words. Yes, he had met Aang. In fact, he’d grown up seeing him and treating him as yet another Uncle in his family. Jinora and her siblings didn’t even know what their grandfather’s hand on their heads felt like (unlike Iroh). 

“He also got to meet a couple of Suyin’s children, Bataar Jr., and Huan,” said the girl. “They’re not too much older than us. I kind of doubt they have many memories. Especially Huan. He’s only a year or two older than Korra, the Avatar now.”

“I know they’re right about him being happy,” said Zuko. He gave a laugh that was a little forced and too close to a sob for Iroh's liking. “Aang is really good at finding the positive in bad situations.”

The girl chuckled. “Gran Gran’s says that about him too.”

“What are you doing?” hissed Toph from behind Iroh. 

He jerked and looked over his shoulder and down at Toph. He knew she couldn’t see the guilty expression he wore, but he was sure it was in his tone as he made up an excuse. “I didn’t want to interrupt them,” he muttered. “It sounded a little… Private.”

She snorted and put her hands on his back. “Yeah, yeah,” she said. “Let’s go.”

Iroh was surprised and not surprised by how strong the old woman was and began to move as she commanded. Walking into the living room, he felt a little bad when the pair immediately clammed up. Their eyes were big and watchful as he smiled at them. “Jinora, Zuko.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry to interrupt you two,” he said. Then, to Jinora specifically, asked, “Have you told him who everyone is yet?”

She nodded. “Yes. I was telling him more about Suyin’s family.” The girl gestured at a picture of Suyin alone. She was very young in the picture. Barely more than a baby, really. Yet even at that age, she was unmistakably herself.

“She has a lot of kids,” offered Zuko as if to corroborate the girl’s assertion.

All signs of his earlier grief were gone. Iroh couldn't help but feel relief at that. He found himself smirking as the boy's words registered in his mind. Zuko thought she had a lot of children? Had Jinora mentioned to him how many siblings _she_ had? Tenzin and Suyin had both opted for large families. “Did Jinora mention she has a little sister and two younger brothers?” he asked.

Zuko startled. “What?”

The girl giggled nervously, twisting her fingers together. “Ah, yeah…”

“Jinora, your dad’s ready to go to the Spirit Wilds,” broke in Toph, voice pointed.

The girl blinked. “Oh, okay.”

“Are we going with them?” asked Zuko as Jinora abruptly walked past him and Toph and toward the kitchen where Tenzin still was.

Iroh prepared himself for the argument to come. Trying to smile, he shook his head. “No, not this time.”

“Why not?” demanded Zuko, scowling at both of them (thankfully).

He knew it offered only a paper-thin facade of calm, but Iroh continued to smile at the teenager. “Because Toph wants us to go to the Central Station to see your statue.”

“I have a statue?” he murmured, briefly stunned out of his frustration.

Toph answered. “You sure do.” 

Zuko’s surprise faded and he turned his head away, hands clenching at his side. “I don’t want to see it.”

“Why not?” pressed Iroh, feeling put-out. He shouldn’t. He understood very well Zuko’s rejection of his offer was not a personal slight at all, yet… Well, Iroh was perhaps spoiled. His grandfather had very rarely told him no in his life. “It’s really impressive,” he said, trying to persuade him.

Zuko’s hands shook and the room felt ever so slightly warmer. Iroh held back the urge to cringe. The boy was angry now. “It’s more important I get home quickly,” he hissed out through bared teeth. “I was supposed to be crowned Fire Lord today.”

Iroh didn’t know what to say. Hadn’t they already gone over this? It was okay. Everything was fine right now. While of course they wanted to put everything right quickly, there was no need to _rush_.

It would only cause issues in the long run and everyone wanted this fixed the right way. No one wanted his grandfather to be stuck in the wrong time, or, as Tenzin suggested, was a possibility, at the wrong age. The best way to assure neither outcome came to fruition was to let the closest thing they had to spirit experts handle communications with them.

He was a general. People frequently, rightly, looked to him for guidance. Yet Iroh felt utterly out of his depth with his teenage-grandfather. He was hopelessly reckless and scarily impatient. Iroh had no idea how to make him understand they were only trying to keep him safe and well. 

Iroh looked to Toph for guidance. She’d known this boy once. How did one reach him? Make him understand?

Zuko picked up on his unease, his deference, and turned his ham-fisted persuasions on the old woman. “What if the meeting with the spirits goes well? Wouldn’t it be better if I’m there to fix instead of having to find me and bring me back?” he demanded.

Toph shrugged. “Eh,” she said. “Both are here in the city. It wouldn’t take long to go from one place to the other.” She rubbed at her chin as if a thought had just come to her. “Or here to there, in fact.” She smiled and said, decisive, “Why don’t we do this? Let’s meet back here at six and if this can be fixed today, we’ll head right to the wilds altogether.”

The tension in Zuko’s frame faded ever so slightly, but his questions didn’t stop. “If it can’t be?”

“I’ll give my daughter a call and have her pick up some dinner and we’ll discuss our next move,” offered Toph, smirking in a self-assured way. “I think chances are pretty good even if we have to go with plan B, we’ll have an actual timeline for fixing you by six.”

He sighed loudly. “Fine,” he relented, disgruntled, but no longer looking as if he was going to try to fight them.

Iroh closed his eyes. Thank the spirits. Toph had gotten through to Zuko. 

“Excuse me,” called out Tenzin, drawing their attention to the doorway. He was standing there with his daughter at his side. “I believe I, erh, overheard you wish for us all to regroup here at six?”

He had not overheard. Well. Not on _purpose_. They had been quite loud. Iroh turned around and nodded at the airbender. “Yes, ” he replied. “If that works for you? In the meantime, we will show Zuko his statue at the station.”

Tenzin smiled. “Yes, I believe it will be,” he agreed. He paused. “I wouldn’t want Pema to worry if we return late,” he remarked, looking down at his daughter who bobbed her head in agreement. “Does your apartment’s phone work, Toph?”

“Yeah,” answered Toph. She started to walk away and toward the home’s front door. “It's in my old office. Go on, use it,” she urged. “We’re heading out.”

Jinora waved at Iroh and Zuko as they followed after Toph. “Bye!” she called.

Zuko returned her wave. Iroh bowed to the girl. “Goodbye, and thank you once again for your help,” he said.

She smiled, clearly pleased by his gratitude. “I’m always happy to help someone!” she declared. Iroh smiled as he straightened himself out. Jinora’s kindness always reminded him of Aang’s.

-o-O-o-

As they traveled by train toward the Central Station, Iroh couldn’t help but notice the frown on his grandfather’s face. “Is there something the matter?” he asks the teenager.

Zuko’s eyes were narrowed as he tracked the blurry, moving scenery outside their window. “I don’t really get this city,” he admitted.

“What do you mean?” asked Iroh, frowning himself in confusion.

“It’s…” he started only to make a frustrated noise. “Who does this place belong to? The Earth Kingdom? Fire Nation?”

“It belongs to every nation,” said Toph. “Citizens of everywhere are welcome here.”

Zuko's eyes widened with wonder. “Really?”

“Yeah,” answered Toph, nodding her head. “This place used to be Fire Nation colonies of the Earth Kingdom, but we’ve helped to develop it well past that since the end of the war.”

“We?” repeated Zuko, expression thoughtful. “As in us specifically?”

Toph made a vague gesture that really didn’t clarify anything. “Eh,” she said. “I _guess_ if you want to be technical about it, it was you and Aang who started it all. You were trying to do the right thing, returning your nation's colonies to the Earth Kingdom, but the Fire Nation had occupied the land for too long. Your people and my people had mixed here and just giving the land and people back to the Earth Kingdom wasn’t going to work.” She smiled in Zuko’s direction and concluded, “So they were given autonomy. Eventually, as the place took off, it was turned into a fifth nation.”

“A fifth nation,” whispered Zuko.

“Yep. It has representatives from all of the other nations here to run it and keep it an equal home for everyone from every nation.”

Zuko’s eyes darted between them, questioning, searching. “Everyone is getting along that well?”

Toph put an elbow on her knee and leaned forward, smirking. “Pretty impressive what an avatar can do for world unity, huh?” she joked.

“And we’re all alive?” murmured Zuko only to flush and look down. “Uh, were alive, to see this stuff happen?”

Toph’s smirk falters a little. “Yeah, kiddo. We all got to see these changes.” 

“That’s… Wow,” Zuko mumbled. He breathed out and ran a hand through his hair. “I kind of thought helping Aang end the war was going to be the biggest thing I ever did.”

She laughed at the teenager’s reply. “It’s in your top ten, I’m sure.” Grinning widely once more, Toph jutted a thumb at her chest. “It is for me.”

“What else is in your top ten?” asked Zuko, curious. He crossed his legs and leaned back in his seat, more relaxed than he had been for the whole trip.

She tapped at her chin. “If I had to pick a few…” Toph sighed. “Training Aang, having my daughters.” Off her fingers, she ticked off some more answers. “Being Republic City’s Police Chief and training Korra.”

Zuko’s attention focused on her last words. “Aang’s reincarnation,” he said.

“Yep.”

The train, which had been slowing down for a couple of minutes, stopped altogether. Iroh listened overhead for the announcement that they were at Central City Station. When it came, he turned to the old woman and teenager. “Zuko, Toph, we’re here.”

“It seems we are,” replied Toph as she stood up.

“This way,” urged Iroh as he guided the pair off the train and into the station. The station, even now that it was past its heyday, was a popular spot for people in Republic City. Weaving through and around people, he finally got Zuko and Toph outside onto the station’s steps. From them, Zuko’s statue filled their view.

“Oh,” whispered the teenager, staring at the looming metal monument to his future-self.

He smiled at Zuko, feeling pride swell in his chest. He was always happy when he saw this statue. It was a reminder of what he knew to be the truth. His grandfather was a great man. “Impressive, isn’t it?” he asked, placing a hand on the teenager’s shoulder.

Zuko took a step down the stairs, jostling Iroh’s hand off his shoulder in the process. He tried to not let the sting get to him as the boy remarked, “It’s huge.”

He did not sound pleased.

Toph scoffed. “Well, what were you expecting?”

He looked over his shoulder at them and gestured at himself. “Something a little larger than life-size!” he explained.

Iroh’s shoulders fell. “Ah, so you don’t like it?” he asked, wondering if not this, what proof of his good work would Zuko like?

The boy was not blind to his disappointment and ducked his head. “I… Don’t know,” he mumbled.

He sighed before forcing a smile across his face. “It’s fine,” he tried to assure the suddenly very anxious-looking teenager. “I just thought you might enjoy seeing it. You’re very well regarded here. People really appreciate that you helped to make this area autonomous and to keep the community that formed with the colonies whole.”

“It _is_ nice,” replied Zuko, earnest in his words. “I appreciate the citizens' efforts.” 

Out of the corner of his eyes, Iroh saw Toph smile. Reaching out, she ruffled his grandfather’s messy hair. “That’s cute,” she said. “You don’t have to lie to your grandson, Zuko.” She leaned closer to the boy and stage-whispered to him, “You had to warm up to the statue when you were older too.”

Iroh blinked. “Grandfather did?” he said. Then why had Toph suggested they bring him here? Weren't they trying to make Zuko feel hopeful for the future?

“I did?” replied Zuko at the same time, blinking himself.

She laughed. "Yeah. You stayed a pretty modest guy even after you became Fire Lord. The power never went to your head,” said Toph, hand drifting down to rest on Zuko’s back. The teenager did not move away from it as Toph told him, “You don’t want big useless monuments of your work and have actually done pretty well at limiting them to a handful here and in the fire nation.”

Zuko exhaled. “Good.”

Toph smirked. “Me, on the other hand, I’ve littered this place with statues,” she gloated as she began to guide them down the steps.

The boy snorted, amused. “Of course you did.”

“Aang and Sokka have statues here in the city too,” Toph told Zuko in a conspiratorial way.

“Yeah?”

“We’ve got time if you’d like to see them,” said Toph. She turned her head and looked in Iroh’s general direction. “Right?”

He nodded his agreement when Zuko also looked at him with curious, interested eyes. “It won’t take long at all if we use the streetcars,” he replied. Maybe this was why Toph had suggested they see grandfather's statue. She wanted to show him the rest of the gangs' statues. It was clear to Iroh Zuko was excited to see them and for the moment, was distracted from his troubles.

Toph smiled and turned her attention back to Zuko. “Whaddaya say, kiddo?”

“I’d like to see your statues,” he answered. His expression turned tentative. “Do you think Jinora and Tenzin are doing all right?” he asked.

Iroh held back a groan. He'd spoken too soon. Zuko was still consumed by his problem.

Toph waved off his concerns with a hand. “Oh yeah, don’t you worry,” she assured him. “Jinora is very attuned to spirits.”

Zuko breathed out. Apparently, he was finally willing to put it out of his mind for the time being. “Okay.”

Iroh, who was now lagging behind the two, hurried to catch up. Then, he surpassed the old woman and boy. Smiling at them over his shoulder, he took on the role of guide and gestured for the two to follow him. “Come on,” he urged. “Let’s go see when the next streetcar will be here.”

-o-O-o-

Zuko enjoyed seeing Sokka, Aang, and Toph’s statues a lot more than he did his own. He'd been impressed by the realistic depiction of his friends and Toph had been happy to tell Zuko about when the statues went up and why they were placed where they were. Zuko was attentive during her stories and by the time they had seen them all, seemed to be in a decent mood. At least he didn't ask about Tenzin and Jinora and when Iroh suggested getting lunch at a South Pole-inspired restaurant before returning to Toph's apartment.

Eating with his young grandfather had been a fun experience. While he'd eaten food cooked by Katara and Sokka in the past, Zuko hadn't had any of the Water Nation's true delicacies and Iroh ordered a couple for him to try. Zuko had a few different reactions and made several comments about the different dishes, eliciting laughter from Iroh and Toph. Zuko was even smiling by the time their meal ended.

However, as they traveled back to Toph's apartment, Zuko's good humor faded, and by the time they were inside it, he was tense and trepidation dripped off of him. Iroh was sad by the change and tried to get him to engage in a couple of different board games Toph had in her home, or to just talk with him, but the boy wouldn't. When Iroh started to feel himself growing frustrated, Toph spoke up.

"Iroh, you're not helping," she chided.

He sighed. "Sorry," he replied.

She waved him off and patted the seat on the couch next to her. "Zuko, just sit down. They won't be late."

"But—"

" _Sit_ ," she insisted.

Zuko sat down.

Iroh considered the two a moment and then looked to the room's radio. "Does your radio work?" he asked her.

"It should," she answered.

He went and fiddled with it until he got a news station to come out loud and clear from the speakers. Satisfied, he sat down on the couch adjacent to Zuko and Toph's. He put his arms over the back of the couch and closed his eyes. Listening to the steady tone of the announcer on the radio, he said to Zuko, "Just listen to the news. Maybe you'll find it interesting."

The boy grumbled beneath his breath but did not reject his suggestion. Iroh took it as a win. He kept his eyes closed and let the day's events wash over him.

-O-

Iroh woke to his teenage-grandfather calling out, "They're back!"

From the front of the apartment was the sound of shuffling people and indistinct voices discussing amongst themselves. He opened his eyes just in time to see Toph reach for Zuko's arm as the boy started to stand. “Yep,” she agreed as she pulled him back down onto the couch next to her. “Sit back down and let them come in at their pace.”

His face took on an angry scowl. “Why—”

“Zuko, they aren’t going to keep you waiting,” Iroh cut in reasonably. 

The boy’s scowl fell and he sat back down, defeated. “Fine,” he grumbled, turning himself away from them as much as he could without leaving his seat. Iroh resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. 

Teenagers.

A minute later, Tenzin and Jinora stepped into the room. They both looked quite pleased, though it was perhaps a little more tentative on Tenzin’s face. A good sign. He smiled at the pair as Zuko perked back up, staring over at the two with an unnerving intensity. 

“Hello! How did it go for you two?” asked Iroh.

Jinora and her father exchanged a look. Finally, Tenzin replied, “There is good news and bad news.”

He raised his eyebrows. “That so?”

Jinora, who was looking more and more excited, burst out, “We found the spirit who did it!”

“What did they say?” demanded Zuko, standing once more and halfway across the room. 

The girl smiled at the boy. “The spirit _said_ they were just trying to help, but I think that was a lie.” She put a finger to her chin and tilted her head. “I think that’s just their excuse for deciding they wanted to cause a little chaos.”

Zuko’s shoulders fell. “Oh.”

“A little chaos being the keyword here,” murmured Tenzin, taking control of the conversation. “The spirit’s intention was not to make this a permanent change,” he explained. He looked at Iroh as he said, “It will wear off.”

Iroh leaned back, relief coursing through him. He didn’t know the details yet. However, whenever the end might be, knowing it _existed_ was euphoric. He was going to get his grandfather back.

“Wear off?” echoed Zuko, clearly vying for more information.

“Yes.” Tenzin smiled. “It seems you will be put right again in a couple of days without us having to do anything.”

Iroh’s happiness doubled. Only that much longer? He could handle that. Even if Zuko continued to be surly (which he was hopeful wouldn’t be the case). Iroh would need to think of something fun to do with the teenager tomorrow, to celebrate. He wondered if he’d like to see a play. Or would he be happy with a visit to the seaside just outside the city? His grandfather had always loved their summer visits to the Ember Islands.

“Do you know if I’ll go home to the point in time I was taken from?” asked Zuko as Iroh tried to plan their time together.

Jinora bobbed her head. “That’s what the spirit made us think will happen!” she said, cheerful and proud.

Zuko sighed. “Good.”

“Iroh, you should call your mother,” broke in Toph from her end of the couch. The side of her head propped on a fist, she smirked over at him with mischief in her eyes. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear she won’t have to raise her father.”

That was a good idea. Iroh knew she was worried. His mother had probably already almost finished a plan for how to get Zuko back to the Fire Nation discreetly should the need arise. She’d be just as, if not even more, happy to know she didn’t have to worry about Zuko being this way long-term. “Of course,” he said. Standing, Iroh felt compelled to say, “May I…?”

Toph made a noise between a huff and a laugh. “I wouldn’t have suggested it if you couldn’t.”

“Thanks,” said Iroh before he stepped out of the room and went down the hall to what had been Toph’s office. He left the door behind him half-open as he sat at the desk and picked up the phone. 

Iroh spun around in the chair so his back was to the door as he spoke with the operator about connecting with his family’s private line at the palace. Once they told him it would be just a moment, Iroh turned his attention to the office’s window. Through it, he could see the courtyard of Toph’s apartment building. There was a lot of green grass for the residents to enjoy, but also a small garden at one end that appeared to be full of different fruits and vegetables. 

The operator came back on the line, telling him his call had been accepted. Iroh sat a little straighter in his chair in anticipation for his mother to greet him on the other side of the phone.

“Hello?” said a voice that was definitely not his mother. 

All the same, Iroh smiled to himself. “Aunt ‘Zula,” he replied without missing a beat. He’d missed her too and was happy she and Mom were together. It would make passing along the latest developments much easier.

“Azula is there?” asked Zuko and Iroh jumped in his seat. 

He hadn’t heard the boy come into the office. He turned back around and offered the teenager a nod and smile. Pulling the phone from his ear, he whispered at Zuko, “Just a moment.” 

He put the phone back to his ear just in time to hear his aunt say:

“Iroh.” Her tone was slightly impatient, but also worried. Probably because he’d paused in conversation to deal with Zuko. “What news do you have for your dear aunt?” she demanded.

He winced but didn’t let her sharpness get to him. “Jinora and Tenzin found the spirit. It sounds as if this will wear off on its own in a few days.”

Aunt Azula’s voice became slightly distant as she called out, “Did you hear your son, Izumi?”

“Yes,” answered his mother, her voice coming over the telephone clearly. She must have taken it from his aunt. “Thank you for keeping us informed, Iroh,” she said. “I trust you can handle things until your grandfather is himself again?”

He felt a smile tug at his lips. “Hi Mom,” he replied. He nodded his head even though it was unnecessary. “Yes, I can. Don’t worry.”

Zuko, who’d been watching him intently from the other side of the desk thrust his hand out for the phone and asked, “Can I talk to Azula?”

He blinked. It wouldn’t hurt Zuko, would it? “Uh,” he replied. “One second.” Then, to his mother and, hopefully, his aunt, he said “Mom? Aunt ‘Zula?”

“Yes?” answered his aunt, voice distant, but present.

“Zuko… He wants to talk to you.”

“Does he now?” replied Aunt Azula. There was the sound of shifting on the other side of the line before his aunt said, “I _suppose_ I have the time.”

He chuckled. “Thank you.” He turned to the boy who was watching him closely from the other side of the desk. “Zuko?” he said. The boy’s hand lifted again and Iroh placed the phone in it. “Here.” Zuko started to put it to his ear, but the wrong way around and he sighed. “No, hold it like—” Before he could get up and correct the boy, he did it himself. Iroh smiled at him. “There you are.”

Zuko pulled the phone back from his ear slightly and gave it a tentative look. “I just,” he said, “talk?”

“Yes.”

Zuko turned, giving Iroh a view of his profile instead of his full face. “Azula?” he said into the phone.

The teenager’s nose wrinkled. “Ugh, you still call me that?”

“Whatever,” grumbled Zuko, crossing his free arm over his chest. His face softened then and he lowered his voice to a mumble. “How are you, uh, feeling?”

He stiffened and his face turned a little pink. “It’s that this is really weird!” complained the boy, tone sulky, to Iroh’s aunt.

Abruptly, his face changed again to something near stunned. “Me?” murmured Zuko. He began to fiddle with the cord of the phone. “I guess I’m okay now. It helps knowing this will fix itself in a couple of days.” A frown pulled the corners of the teenager’s mouth and he gave Iroh a side glare. “Oh. No. I wasn’t _allowed_ to go,” he grumbled. 

Iroh didn’t let it get to him. He was still of the opinion keeping Zuko away from that mess was a good idea. What if he’s said something that offended the spirit who did this? They could have made him stuck this way. 

“Instead? Toph and Iroh took me to see everyones’ statues today,” said Zuko, face changing once again.

Zuko’s expression was puzzled. “Like it?” he said as if repeating what Aunt Azula said. The teenager shrugged. “I mean I guess it was nice to see Sokka and Toph have statues.” He paused. “A lot of statues in Toph’s case.”

The boy scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Aang was always going to get one. He is, _was,_ the avatar.” Zuko sighed. “It’s a lot bigger than I’d have allowed.”

The boy startled before he exclaimed, “They wanted to make it _bigger_?”

Zuko could almost hear his aunt laughing on the other side of the line as Zuko once again became sulky. “Ugh. You still lie?” he grumbled.

Iroh grimaced. That was never a good word to use with his aunt. Especially in relation to _her_. He hoped she wouldn’t turn snappish with Zuko now.

“Joke?” said the boy. “Oh.” He ran a hand through his hair and mumbled, “Sorry.” There was then a long silence that only ended when Zuko asked, “…Do you have statues?”

There was another pause as the teenager listened and perhaps then thought about her answer. Finally, Zuko said, “I’ll try to remember to fix that. Iroh says you did a lot of work for me while I was Fire Lord.”

Zuko smiled. “You’re welcome.” It was quickly wiped away, however, by unease as he stammered, “Um. I’m not sure—”

The teenager abruptly stopped his protest and looked over at Iroh with a nervous furrow between his brows. “Hi,” he mumbled.

Iroh leaned in closer to the teenager. He had to be talking to Iroh’s mother. He wondered how strange it had to be for her. It was clear that for Zuko, it was simply uncomfortable. Which wasn’t a surprise. It was his daughter on the line, but, really, she was a stranger.

Zuko blinked, apparently surprised by a question his mother posed. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he answered. Iroh winced. How unusual was it that Zuko was asked how he was feeling at this age? 

Zuko’s shoulders fell as if he was being chastised. His next words told Iroh that was exactly what was happening. “I can’t imagine I thought a spirit would take an offhand comment so seriously,” he mumbled.

Zuko nodded. Then, a beat later, added, “I’m sorry.”

The boy scratched his head and gave Iroh a pleading look. “I… I can try to be more like them in the future?” he offered as Iroh decided to take pity on the teenager and motioned for him to return the phone. Zuko’s eyes shined with gratitude. “Do you want to talk to Iroh?” he asked a little louder than necessary. He had probably spoken over his mother’s fretting. There was a pause. “Uh, yeah,” he said as he started to pull the phone from his ear. “Hang on—”

Phone positioned down and at his side, Zuko told Iroh, “Your mom wants to talk to you.”

He gestured for the boy to give him the phone. “Thank you,” he said with a smile when Zuko put it in his hand. Once he had it, he put it to his ear and said, “Mom, hello again.”

“Hello,” she replied and there was a strained note to her tone that told him she was trying to hide from him she was upset. He decided to not prod. It wasn’t hard to imagine it was in part due to the situation and possibly a little from how quickly Zuko had wanted to get off the line with her when he’d been eager to speak with Aunt Azula.

“I wanted to say goodbye to you before I hung up,” she said.

He appreciated that. “Of course. Bye, Mom.”

“No, no, one more thing,” she hurried to add before Iroh could put the phone down.

“Sorry,” said Iroh as he put his elbows on the desk and used his free hand to support his chin as he waited to hear what else his mother had to say.

“I did speak with your cousin Quon earlier today,” she told him.

Iroh wasn’t phased. He’d been thinking he might want to talk to him soon too. If only for advice on what to do with a moody teenager. He had raised one and was in the middle of raising another. “Yeah?”

“It was just in case this became a more extended problem,” explained his mother. “I thought if we needed a place to home your grandfather for more than a few days we could have Quon keep him until I could send your aunt or sister to retrieve him.”

That made sense. It would have been a good plan too. Quon would have loved having a teenage Zuko as well. He was a very social man who liked to host others. “So why are you bringing this up now?” he asked.

“Since it seems Dad will be this way a little longer, why don’t you have him visit your cousin?” suggested his mother. “Quon and his oldest girls would enjoy it. I imagine Zuko will too.”

Zuko might find them overwhelming. However, he might not as well. “I can do that,” he agreed.

“Thank you, Iroh,” she replied. Then, his mother said, “I love you.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “Love you too,” he said. “Goodbye.”

“We’ll speak soon,” she replied before he heard her hang up the phone. 

Iroh did not put the phone back yet. He did, however, still look across the desk at Zuko. The teenager’s expression was strange and he frowned at him. “What?” he asked the boy.

Zuko shook his head. “Nothing,” he replied, and then he turned away, leaving the room. 

He sighed. Maybe Zuko would be in a better mood after some dinner and a good night’s rest since it seemed Jinora and Tenzin’s news wasn’t enough. The thought of dinner reminded him of a suggestion Toph had made that morning. Projecting his voice, he called out to the blind woman, “Toph, would you like me to call Chief Beifong now? Since it seems we’ll need dinner?”

“Go for it, soldier boy,” she shouted back.

Iroh got the operator back on the line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you like this second chapter? Zuko getting to meet some new people? What about his phone call with Azula and Izumi?
> 
> Thanks for reading and please let me know your thoughts with a comment and/or kudo :)


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